Degradation of starch granules by some amylolytic bacteria from the rumen of sheep.

pyrene and tran8-4,5-dihydro-4,5-dihydroxypyrene, were present in the bile of rats treated with pyrene. 3. In the oxidation of pyrene with perbenzoic acid an intermediate was formed, believed to be 4,5-epoxy-4,5-dihydropyrene, which reacted with water to yield tran8-4,5-dihydro-4,5-dihydroxypyrene and with N-acetyl-L-cysteine to form Nacetyl-S-(4,5-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-pyrenyl)-L-CySteine. 1-Hydroxypyrene and 1,6and 1,8-pyrenequinone were also formed in the oxidation. 4. The N-acetylcysteine derivative obtained both synthetically and from treated animals yielded pyrene and NN'-diacetylcystine and a compound believed to be 4-pyrenylmercapturic acid with mineral acid and 4-hydroxypyrene with aqueous alkali.